156 SCARLET TANAGER. 



mingbirds. The male Scarlet Tanager, with fire-red body 



and jet-black wings and tail, is the most brightly plum- 



aged of our birds. Seen against a 



Scarlet Tanager, } ea fy background, light seems to radi- 



Piranga erytJiromelas. J p. 



ate from his glowing feathers. But 

 the female, clad in dull olive-green, is so in harmony 

 with the color of her surroundings that she is not easily 

 discovered. The young male at first resembles his mother, 

 but has blackish wings and tail, and does not acquire the 

 full scarlet and black plumage until the following spring. 

 After the nesting season is over the male exchanges the 

 nuptial dress, which has rendered him so conspicuous, for 

 a costume similar to that worn by the young male. 



The Scarlet Tanager spends the winter in Central and 

 South America with his numerous relatives, and in the 

 spring reaches the latitude of New York city about May 

 5, remaining until October. It frequents both high and 

 low woods, but prefers rather open growths of white oak. 

 Its nest is usually placed on the horizontal branch of an 

 oak limb. The three or four eggs are pale greenish blue, 

 with numerous reddish brown markings. 



The Tanager's call-note is a characteristic chip-churr ; 

 his song is not unlike the Robin's, but is not so free and 

 ringing. Mounting to the topmost branch, often of a 

 dead or partially dead tree, he sings, Look-up, way-up, 

 loolc-at-me, tree-fop, and with frequent pauses repeats the 

 invitation. 



SWALLOWS. (FAMILY 



Primarily, Swallows are remarkable for their power 

 of flight. Their long, bladelike wings show how well they 

 are fitted for life in the air; their small feet, on the 

 other hand, are of little service except in perching, and 

 give evidence of the effect of disuse (see Fig. 6). 



